A Sewing Journal

Month: January 2017

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Okay, it’s not anywhere near spring yet, but that title describes this dress pretty well! I had to snatch up this fabric when it went on sale over the holidays since it’s a cotton/spandex jersey with a fun print that you usually only see in quilting cottons. Then I was a little disappointed when it arrived since I’d thought the background was gray, but it’s actually a grayish pink/lavender (I even emailed Michael Levine to make sure I’d gotten the right fabric, and they’ve now updated the page to reflect the actual colors–very much appreciated!). However, on further reflection, I’ve become fond of it as kind of a “stealth goth” print: at first glance, you see the pink and the large sprays of flowers…but then at second glance, you notice it’s also full of bats and cobwebs. Perfect for spring! (It’s also very soft and cozy–I could definitely see making PJs out of it.)

(Please disregard my so-so pattern matching on the center front bodice–it’s hard to do with fabric that doesn’t press well!)

The pattern is McCall’s 7160 (a Christmas present–thanks, Dad!), view C without the overlay. Note the pattern comes with pockets! And they’re the kind that are attached to the waistband–this makes them much more stable (great for knits), but means you can’t do up the side seams last, which is what I prefer to do to make fitting easy.

As a consequence, I see some fitting issues to fix, but honestly, they’re probably not enough to make me actually unpick that waistband (I serged 1/4-inch elastic directly into it–ugh, no way I’m unpicking that). The only changes I made to this pattern were to shorten the skirt a little, give it a slight high-low hem, and to not actually hem it, just serge the bottom of the skirt. (I hate hemming circle skirts, though I love the way they look.) I also put elastic into the shoulder seams like any knit top, but I don’t remember whether the instructions say to do that or not (admittedly, I didn’t really check).

Still, I’m generally very pleased with this look and fit, and I could definitely see doing this with a lace overlay as a special-occasion dress. (I’m really into making ballgowns out of stretch fabric at the moment!)

Hello, 2017. I have been sewing in the last few months, but the shorter days mean it’s really difficult to get good photos. Luckily, I got my sister to snap a couple photos of this dress while we were visiting our parents in New Mexico over the holidays.

The pattern is McCall’s 7349 and I looove it. I love that it’s a fit-and-flare shape with no waist seam, no closures, and princess seams on both the front and back. Raglan sleeves and no waist seam means fitting is super easy–though I actually did only minor adjustments (nipping in the waist a bit, letting out over the hips). Comfy, flattering, easy to make…what’s not to love? I did try to extend the sleeves to full length, but it wasn’t entirely successful since, um, I ran out of fabric. Oh well! (Is this what’s called “bracelet-length”? Let’s pretend that was what I was going for.)

I also left off the neckband and faced the neckline with some fun quilting cotton to finish it:

Speaking of quilting, the main fabric is a quilted-look knit (rayon/poly/spandex). I picked it because it has a lot of body and structure, and it worked perfectly for this dress. It’s also quite cozy.

That said, I’m definitely considering making this pattern again–sleeveless, floor-length, lower neckline–in a shimmery spandex for a ball gown that can be easily packed for the two dance camps I’ll be attending this year. No more hauling around a bulky garment bag!